perfect religions

[syo]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

 

[Rival]

no

 

[lewisnotmiller]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

Why do you feel the need to posit that 'all religions are perfect'?
The Branch Davidians brought people together but...yeah...

Additionally, even strong proponents of religions would generally be willing to accept that their religion is not perfect (even if they believe in a perfect deity).
Religions are made up of people. People aren't perfect.

 

[omega2xx]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

When one religions teaches a doctrine and another one says it is not true, one or both of them is wrong. Making one or both not perfect.

 

[syo]

I think religions are perfect because they all teach about living in peace and in happiness. the way that reaches to happiness varies among religions but isn't this variety a beautiful thing?

 

[SomeRandom]

I do kind of want to agree with you, I really do. But I view all religions as being flawed (yes, even my own.) Whether that be just from theological shortcomings to humanity's knack for wrecking everything they touch like some sort of anti Midas Touch thing.

 

[YmirGF]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

Ideas of perfection, especially in the arena of human endeavors, are not particularly helpful yardsticks and are usually predicated on highly superficial thinking. I could spend the rest of the week endlessly outlining the less than stellar aspects of every religion and to ignore those shortcomings is both deceitful and disingenuous.

Further to this, one does not need religion in order to live a peaceful life, content in the knowledge that one is committed to helping ones fellow human animals and relishing the happiness derived from doing what one can.

It's when we pretend that things are perfect that we remove the need to work harder, to go the extra distance, to make the changes that are so sorely needed.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I think religions are perfect because they all teach about living in peace and in happiness.

Not true.

 

[Twilight Hue]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

I agree all religions are perfect. Perfectly true, perfectly fake, perfectly antagonizing, perfectly accommodating, perfectly exclusive. Pick your perfection. It's all there!

 

[YmirGF]

I agree all religions are perfect. Perfectly true, perfectly fake, perfectly antagonizing, perfectly accommodating, perfectly exclusive. Pick your perfection. It's all there!

Yep. It tends to marginalize yet another word.

 

[LuisDantas]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions.

If they are all perfect, shouldn't they have some form of respectful acknowledgement of each other then?

How is it possible for a perfect religion to teach that another perfect religion is fake?

and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism.

Again: how perfect can a religion that enables such things be?

why people fail to see that religions unite people?

Clearly, they don't always. One reason why is because at the end of the day there is precious little promoting feelings of human unity beyond appeals against "external" foes. We are a complicated species that just doesn't much like peace and cooperation.

Instead of hoping for the existence of only "perfect" religions (against all evidence and sidestepping the difficult issue of deciding what qualifies as a religion and what falls short) it is IMO it is more productive to acknowledge that there are many thousands of competing claims and that they are only as perfect as the wisdom and discernment of the people making them allow.

Among other consequences, that means realizing that there are literally insane claims of religious truth out there. It also means facing up front the thorny issue of dealing with religious discord. While that is very much a challenge, I think it is well worth it.

 

[LuisDantas]

I think religions are perfect because they all teach about living in peace and in happiness.

Uh, no, they don't all do that. Some don't even claim to.

Of course, you are well within your rights to establish that you don't consider doctrine that fail that yardstick to be true religions. That is fair enough. I don't think it is at all reasonable to attempt to acknowledge all claims of religious significance.

the way that reaches to happiness varies among religions but isn't this variety a beautiful thing?

It can be beautiful. It isn't always.

 

[shunyadragon]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

The evidence indicates that all religions represent in one way or another reflect an imperfect fallible human view of God and Revelation.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion.

That's easily one of the dumbest things I've read in a long time.

 

[syo]

which religions do not teach happiness?

 

[syo]

and it's true that people abuse religions

 

[LuisDantas]

which religions do not teach happiness?

Those that do not understand how it can be attained, for one.

Then there are those that mistake avoidance for happiness.

And of course, quite a few movements that swear to be religions teach fear and co-dependence. Those actually harm the ability to understand what happiness is.

(I'm not sure that teaching happiness is what defines a religion, but let's roll with it.)

and it's true that people abuse religions

It is at least as true that some so-called religious movements are inherently unhealthy and, in fact, end up being rehabilitated by their adherents to some extent or another.

 

[shunyadragon]

which religions do not teach happiness?

This is not likely true of all religions. The more austere the outlook of religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam the question of happiness becomes questionable. The View of Buddhism and the Baha'i Faith is more optimistic and positive, and I believe promotes happiness.

 

[sun rise]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

If you were to write that the core beliefs of all religions are fundamentally the same and perfect, I would agree with you. The theology is something else. The exclusivity that 'my religion is the true one and yours is false' is of course a root of conflict.

 

[The Holy Bottom Burp]

all religions are perfect. there isn't a single religion that has faults, in my opinion. but still most people think that only their religion is true and that other people follow fake religions. and as a result we have religious wars and terrorism. why people fail to see that religions unite people?

"All religions are perfect" sounds like a contradiction in terms Syo, a bit like saying "all religions are correct", but they cant be because they have different prophets and deities, different theologies, different doctrines. Sure, religion unites people of the same religion (as long as they are in the same denomination of course, try telling the families of the Sunni Muslims firebombed by Shia Muslims in Iraq this year that religion unites people), but it creates divisions like no political or nationalistic prejudice could ever do. Only religion could make a man walk down a street in London, kill unarmed civilians, and think it righteous for example.
Even Buddhism, a religion generally thought of as peaceful and contemplative, is not above a bit of blood lust. Why are Buddhist monks attacking Muslims? - BBC News
If I had to join a religion, I think it'd be Jainism, totally dedicated to peace and non violence, even insects dude! If only all religions were all like that....